June
9, 2006 - Based
on a Heavy Metal-inspired comic series by writer and
artist Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons respectively,
Rogue Trooper, is now a playable and quite enjoyable
videogame. This third-person shooter is bargain priced
and as such there are some flaws that must be endured,
but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for 
but that will depend on your perspective.

Rogue
Trooper is a relatively short game and while I might
be a little disappointed if this were a full-priced
game, I commend the developers for keeping it short
and sweet. Too many games are padded with fetch quests,
inane puzzles, repetitious combat and numerous other
bits of filler to give the perception of value. I
would rather have four hours of solid entertainment
than 16 hours of rehash, and Im sure I speak
for many gamers out there  at least the ones
that know when theyre being had. While Rogue
Trooper has its flaws, at the very least it leaves
you wanting more. There is a four-player online component
but its limited to two modes, and a decided
lack of online participants. The local two-player
co-op mode virtually makes up for the lack of online
players. There might be a glut of new online players
as the game gets more recognition but like the 2000AD
and British Comics that spawned Rogue Trooper, were
stuck cultivating cultists in cult culture.

Rogue
is the name of a genetically modified soldier. Hes
basically a mutant, designed to withstand the poisonous
atmosphere that pervades Nu Earth, our once thriving
planet that has been turned into a toxic wasteland
by all of the chemicals deployed during the great,
relentless war. The Souths and the Norts have been
involved in a horrific battle for eons. Rogue has
been cloned to support the South but hes got
a mind of his own that makes him loyal to his teammates
and ultimately to himself. His teammates have all
been programmed with special, unique skills that make
them a highly flexible and formidable squad. In the
event that his teammates are killed, Rogue can collect
their bio-computer chips which have their skills coded
on them and use them to become a one-man army.

At
one point, Rogue and his team have been betrayed by
a higher ranking officer and find themselves at the
mercy of the ruthless Nords that murder the three
members of Rogues squad. Rogue manages to save
his life and at the same time collect the bio-chips
of his fallen comrades by graphically cutting into
their skulls with a knife. With these newfound skills
and strengths he has decided to make things personal.
Hes not only out to win a war, hes determined
to exact revenge.

Gunners
bio-chip made him the weapons expert. With his chip
inserted into Rogues gun, Rogue is able to shoot
with a greater degree of accuracy and can also use
the gun as automatic turret. You will also receive
hints and tips as to which are the most effective
weapons to use for certain situations. The Bagmans
chip is inserted into Rogues inventory where
ammo, health packs and weapon upgrades can be manufactured
out of the salvage from dead enemies and machines
found on the battlefield. Finally, the soldier in
charge of technology, Helm, has his chip inserted
into Rogues helmet where he will be able to
unlock doors, decipher codes, hack into computer systems
and display the enemys position on a map through
an advanced radar system.

The
Nords are human and must wear protective gear such
as respirators to fight in the dangerous environment
of Nu Earth. Their outfits can be exploited as one
of their most prominent weaknesses, although they
are fairly easy to take care of from a long distance
with the sniper rifle and some grenades. They can
only withstand a couple of hits from any weapon that
you select, and on the medium difficulty level the
aiming system is forgiving allowing you to do plenty
of running and gunning.

With
running and gunning, tactical strategies, stealth
and balls-to-the-wall action, the gameplay variety
in Rogue Trooper is not only varied but cohesive.
Everything seems to fit. The situations are realistic
within the context of the storyline and there are
no make-work scenarios. The missions may not be very
complex, in fact they are very simple, for the most
part as you make your way from one end of the level
to the next. The gameplay very linear in nature but
it doesnt feel like it since these diverse gameplay
elements occur in various random combinations throughout
each level. You cant be sure of whats
going to happen next and thats the hallmark
of a good game.

While
the levels are linear there is one level in particular
that is literally on rails. You are actually on a
train that is traveling on rails. While onboard you
are saddled with the duty of shooting down Nord planes
in the air and Nord enemies that are attempting to
board the train. Thanks to the accuracy of the targeting
system this level is more fun than frustrating.

One
particularly frustrating aspect is that you have to
purchase your ammunition. Although you can carry some
with you, and have more created by the Bagman, you
cant carry enough nor can the production keep
up with the demand. During the heat of battle there
is not one person on the face of the Earth that can
possibly justify this feature. This is a self-imposed
feature and not something that can be blamed on the
games low budget. Things were going great until
this situation reared its ugly head.

The
control system allows for good targeting but movement
is a little stiff and there are too many options attributed
to the action button. These various moves arent
used enough in the game for you to commit them to
memory. Although some moves are automatic depending
on the situation and placement of the character in
relation to an object, at the very least there should
be an onscreen menu to display the available options.
Last but not least, changing weapons requires an annoying
song and dance routine of accessing your inventory,
cycling through your weapons with the D-pad, highlighting
a weapon and then selecting it with another button.
All these flaws only serve to bog the gameplay down
 and theres no good excuse for them to
be in this game regardless of the budget price.

Graphically
the game lacks personality. If youre a fan of
the comics you might enjoy the novelty of seeing your
hero and some of the locations brought to life but
comparatively speaking this looks like your typical
generic videogame. Rogue is a blue-tinged mutant with
a muscular build and unholy eyes, but in the game
he reminds me of a cross between the Hulk and a Smurf.
Hes more comical than terrifying. Fortunately
the voiceacting is good and the story is intelligent.

For
a budget title, things could certainly be a whole
lot worse. Its worth a rental at the least,
and if you can find some online play then you might
just want to consider purchasing it. Its fun,
challenging, captivating, diverse  and cheap.

Features:

Intense
3rd person action on the battlefields of Nu Earth.

Use
Helm, Gunnar and Bagman, Rogue's fallen comrades,
to bring about the maximum amount of destruction.

Truly
freeform gameplay, incorporating an unlimited amount
of routes and tactics with which to progress.

Surprise
your enemies and execute dramatic Kill-Moves at
close range.

Use
the unique upgradeable abilities of your Bio-chipped
equipment strategically to outwit your foes and
set up colossal action sequences.

Sophisticated
hierarchical enemy AI.

Intense
split-screen and online multiplayer action.

By
Lee PatrickCCC
Freelance Writer

Rating
out of 5

Rogue
Trooper (PC)

2.8

GraphicsThe
graphics dont have much personality.
They arent as strong as the comic
series.

3.2

ControlThe
targeting system is great but the other
controls can be stiff, confusing and less
refined.

4.0

Music
/ Sound FX / Voice ActingThe
voiceacting, sound effects and music are
very well done. Better than a lot of premium
games.

3.5

Play
ValueThe
two-player co-op mode is great but you might
have a hard time finding some online gamers.

3.4

Overall
Rating -
Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above
for a final score breakdown.